Steward, Illinois

In the winter of 1869 and 1870 there was an agitation commenced as to a railroad through Alto township from the southeast to the northwest, known first as the Hinckley road, now the Chicago & Iowa railroad. Great excitement was caused and much opposition made toward the enterprise. A call was made for a meeting to see if the citizens were willing to subscribe for $32,000 bonds, payable when the track was laid, and cars running on the same. The meeting was held, and upon vote being taken it showed as a result nearly two-thirds in favor of the scheme, or 93 for and 50 against. A surVey was made and grading commenced on Monday, September 26, 1870, and the enterprise was pushed ahead rapidly, and on December 31, 1870, it was finished to Rochelle, Ogle county, and trains sent over. Then there was a lull and no regular trains were run till April 1871, and only once a day till 1872. The great Chicago fire and the panic occurring about that time had a depressing effect through this section, and a few years later the $32,000 bonds were compromised and reduced to $25,000, and at a lower rate of interest, and have since been reduced to about $15,000. The railroad offices and warehouse were in Wesley Steward's barn for some time after the road was in operation.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

A meeting was called and held in the railroad depot April 1874. At this meeting a building committee was chosen and elected. The committee were J. C. Curry, H. A. Robinson, II. Yan Patten, Y. W. Wells, Jeremiah Tyler, Jas. A, Smith, Merritt Miller, E, M, Piele, and John Yetter. M. L. Barnett was elected treasurer, and J. C. Curry clerk. The committee proceeded at once toward their work, having a plan drawn by Perkins Richardson, of Aurora. The plan was adopted and the contract was at once made with T. J. Labdell, of Paw Paw, for its erection. The building was completed and ready for dedication September 6, 1874. Trains were run free from Chicago and Mount Morris, and a free dinner was served on the day of dedication. The church is the finest building of its kind between Aurora and Rochelle. It is 36x52, and 28 feet high to the eaves, with steeple about 80 feet high. It has a fine basement room, the whole size of the building, for Sunday-school purposes. The church has seating for about 500. It is free from debt and both church and Sunday-school are in a flourishing condition under the pastoral care of Rev. W. H. Tibbals and T. J. Lawton, superintendent of Sabbath-school. The original cost of church building was about $5,000. Its present ofticers are Wesley Steward, T. J. Lawton, Y. W. Wells, IL Yan Patten, and C, W. Herbert, trustees, and T. J. Lawton, treasurer.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

C. W. Younggren, secretary ; C. Yanderventer, treasurer. The other charter members were J. L. Dyas, H. W. Bryant, F. Fitzgerald, W. R. Baumbach, J. N. Prentice, J. Mullins, C. W. Yonnggren, and C Yanderventer. On May 22, 1880, the N.G. of Fidelia Lodge, No. 635, by request, appointed a committee, consisting of Brethren Harris, Hallet and Younggren, to confer with brethren of the order residing at Steward and vicinity to consider the propriety of removal of Fidelia Lodge to Steward. At a subsequent meeting the committee reported favorable, and upon vote being taken it was unanimously carried to petition the Grand Lodge for removal, and upon receipt of the petition the M.W.G.M., G. W. Berggren, deeming it for the best interest of the order, granted a warrant for removal. The lodge as now situated in the village of Steward is in a very healthy condition, being financially and socially strong. Its present officers are A. R. Michael, N.G. ; W. B. Griffith, Y.G. ; John Dunn, treasurer, and S. J. Whetston, secretary.

Passage source: History of Lee County, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Alto Township - it names this place 36 more 36 times.